Poem of William Hermanns

                            Fear

Does impatience haunt you?
Its powerful associate is fear:
fear's offspring is despair,
its favorite word: "Too late."

Where are you running to escape?
What makes you fear?
Your death remains as far, as near,
with or without despair.

Be still and look at your emotional waste.
Your hour will come, and it is better to stand up
and say with pride: "It's I."
than hide out in a sob-filled lair.

Transition needs no fear;
harassment is not part of law.
Be still and watch your growth with awe:
Eternity is here.

                               William Hermanns      [P143]